The Life Beyond is out NOW!

I know many of you have been waiting for this for a while and now the day had finally come. ;)
The Life Beyond is up on Amazon!

It's only available as an e-book . Here's the link to Amazon.UK and here's the link to AmazonUS.

I'm so happy that I can finally share the book with you!

IMPOSTOR in the UK!

As I mentioned before, Impostor will be published in the UK by Hodder (Hachette) and now I can finally share the official cover with you:

I love it! It reflects the book perfectly. You can see Tessa and the girl whose place she has to take (the latest serial killer victim). And I especially adore the rose pendant around the girl's neck since it's an important part of the book.
The book will be published January 2nd, 2014! Less than five months to go! I can't wait!

The Life Beyond

I've been getting a lot of emails about The Life Beyond (the sequel to my debut The Other Life). People were asking when and if it would be published, and now I can finally say that YES it'll be published. I'll publish the book in August. I don't have an exact date yet, but should be able to give you the pub date in a few days.
But first, the cover!
Hafsah (who also designed it - she's the genius behind Icey Designs) will reveal it on her blog Icey Books today! So head over there if you want to see The Life Beyond in all its glory!
I'll hopefully have more info for you on Monday! :)

Giveaway winner!

The winner of my review appreciation giveaway is:
Sarah Elizabeth!

Please send me an email to books@susannewinnacker.com

Thanks! :)

Cover Reveal Blitz: "By Blood" by Tracy E. Banghart + giveaway

Today I'm part of the cover reveal blitz for my friend Tracy's wonderful book "By Blood".

This book is awesome. I even gave it a blurb!

“By Blood effortlessly transports you to the cobblestone streets and small pubs of Oxford, and Emma’s sassy voice pulls you right into the story with its hot British boys and touch of magic. A must read!” —Susanne Winnacker, author of Impostor and The Other Life

Synopsis:

For 17-year-old Emma Wong, spending a summer in England should be a dream come true. Gorgeous scenery? Check. Lots of hot guys with accents? Yes, please.

Throw in an estranged mom, annoying new stepdad, and drooling baby half-brother, and it’s a disaster even her favorite cherry red leather jacket can’t fix. Even worse, there’s (hot) live-in research assistant Josh to contend with. The only thing more embarrassing than   drunk-kissing him hours after they meet? Knowing he’ll be witness to her family’s dysfunction all. summer. long.

But when Emma meets a mysterious girl who happens to be a Druid, her vacation suddenly promises to be far more intriguing than she  anticipated. Powerful rituals, new friends, an intoxicating sense of freedom...and Simon, the sexy foreign stranger she was hoping for. It’s all a perfect distraction from dirty diapers and awkward family dinners.

Trouble is, intriguing doesn’t often mean simple. And Emma is about to discover just how not simple her life really is.

By Blood is a novel about the ways that blood can bind us to others – or tear us apart.

You can add it on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/17380488-by-blood

And here's what other people had to say about By Blood:

“A five star read from start to finish. Un-put-downable!” —Vanessa Garbin, author of the forthcoming Captivate

"Emma's sarcastic, biting narrative and the lure of Celtic myth and magic constructs a brilliant book to cosy up with...if you dare!" ~ 21st Century Once Upon a Times blog

"Love this book! It's a sweet little gem and I am glad that I got to read it! If you are looking for a story that is fun and quick, then I would recommend this book. You will want to know what happens to Emma in the matters of boys, family and adventure!" ~ Sarah, Me My Shelf And I blog

And Tracy even wrote a little guest post about kickass girls (don't we all love strong girls?). Here it is:

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GUEST POST ~ THE BEAUTY OF A BADASS CHICK

One of my biggest role models when I was in high school was Buffy Summers, of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Growing up, I constantly felt like I had to prove I was just as strong/smart/brave as the boys.  And here was Buffy, a short, dainty blond chick who was constantly underestimated…and then totally kicked people’s butts.

The truth is, being a girl can be awfully scary sometimes. It’s just a fact of nature that we’re often shorter or weaker than our male counterparts, and that can lead to moments where we feel powerless or out of control.

Emma, the main character in By Blood, is a short, curvaceous chick, but it was really important to me that she also be strong enough to take care of herself. Not with special powers, but with knowledge and a little skill. Her dad’s a cop and she helps him teach self-defense classes, so she has the tools to defend herself (which, yes, she has occasion to use in By Blood! ;-)). Here’s a little peek at one of these classes:

Dad moved to stand behind me, then simulated a slow-motion attack so I could demonstrate as I explained the best techniques to evade or incapacitate an assailant. I walked the girls through “SING” – solar plexus, instep, nose, groin – and they laughed at the funny face Dad made when I pretended to hit him in the crotch.

“Remember,” I said, “it doesn’t matter how tall or short you are, or whether you’re in shape.” I made a grand gesture that started at my black sneakers and swept up purple leg warmers, black leggings, to the loose gray tunic that clung to my curves. “I’m not exactly intimidating, right? I’m shorter than most of you for one thing. But that doesn’t mean I can’t protect myself.” I shifted my position, ready for the next move. “The more we practice, the more muscle memory we build, so our instincts when in danger will be the right instincts.”

Now came the best part—the part that got the oohs and aahs. Dad reached over my shoulders and before you could say “speeding ticket” I had him on the floor, belly up on the mat. The girls started clapping and a couple laughed in surprise. Dad grinned up at me. I loved that he let me lead the class, and that he was okay with me throwing him around in front of a bunch of girls. Not all cops were cool like that. Not all Dads either.

There are lots of places to take self-defense classes, and resources online and elsewhere that can give you tips on how to protect yourself. As Emma says, you don’t have to be in great shape or a black belt to save yourself in a scary moment. All you need is knowledge – and maybe a little practice!

Here’s an example of some good self-defense tips! http://lifehacker.com/5825528/basic-self+defense-moves-anyone-can-do-and-everyone-should-know

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Doesn't Tracy's post make you want to read By Blood even more?

Tracy E. Banghart is a cheesy movie–loving, fantasy football–playing (go Ravens!), globe-trotting Army wife who began “practicing” her craft at the age of five, when she wrote her first story. She loves visiting the international friends she met while pursuing her MA in Publishing and spends a portion of every summer at her family’s cabin in Canada, where she finds inspiration and lots of time to relax on the dock. She lives with her husband, son, two lazy dogs and one ornery cat. When not writing or spending time with her family, she is on a mission to bake the perfect cupcake.

Tracy’s next novel, Moon Child, a companion to By Blood, will be available this August!

LINKS:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway:

Giveaway Prize Pack #1 (US only)

Signed paperback copy of By Blood

Plus (all hardcover):
Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray
Starcrossed, by Josephine Angelini
The Body Finder, by Kimberly Derting
Jane, by April Lindner
By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead, by Julie Anne Peters
Sean Griswold’s Head, by Lindsey Leavitt
Under the Never Sky, by Veronica Rossi
Slide, by Jill Hathaway
Wither, by Lauren DeStefano
Imaginary Girls, by Nova Ren Suma

Giveaway Prize Pack #2 (Intl)

Signed paperback copy of By Blood + $50 Amazon Gift Card 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Impostor Review Appreciation Giveaway!

Impostor comes out today!!!!

I still can't believe it. I'm excited and terrified!
Reviews are very important for the success of a book. They spread the love, bring books to the attention of readers who might not have discovered it otherwise. Without reviews books might die a sad, lonely death.
And what's more: I appreciate bloggers. I love finding new books through their reviews.
That's why I knew I wanted to have a giveaway that rewards the hard work of reviewers and now it's time.
You have the chance to win 3 books!
One from each of the authors who blurbed Impostor.
So the winner can choose either Cinder OR Scarlet by Marissa Meyer:

Here's what she had to say about Impostor:
"IMPOSTOR is one of those books that manages to walk the tricky line between fun and suspenseful. I was quickly lured into the covert world of Variants and the hunt for a brutal serial killer, but it was Tessa herself who ultimately won my heart. No matter what face she's wearing, Tessa is an endearing hero whose yearning for love and acceptance is one we can all relate to."

The second book the winner can choose is either Incarnate or Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Here's what she had to say about Impostor:

"With its compelling mystery and intriguing characters, Susanne Winnacker's IMPOSTOR kept me reading late into the night. I really enjoyed it!"

And the third book you can win is either "Die For Me" or "Until I Die" or "If I Should Die" by Amy Plum

Here's what she had to say about Impostor:

"A thrilling whodunnit that kept me guessing until the very last pages."

And here's what you have to do to win the 3 books:

1. Read Impostor

2. Write a review for Impostor (at least 4 sentences, please) and post it on Amazon, YABC, Goodreads, Shelfari, Book Depository, Barnes and Nobles, your blog/website, Facebook, Tumblr, and for international peeps: Amazon.de, Lovely Books, Amazon.co.uk etc. 

3. Post the links to your review in the comments. Each review/link counts as one entry.

The contest runs from May 28 (today) until June 20th (Extended to June 27th!). It's international (as long as book depository ships to your country!). I'll announce the lucky winner of the 3 books on June 28th.

4. Extra entries: 

- additional entries can be earned by tweeting/facebooking/blogging/Tumblring about the giveaway. 1 entry for that.

- tweeting/facebooking/tumblring a photo of Impostor in the wild (aka a bookstore). 1 entry.

But those are only additional entries. You can only enter if you comment with at least 1 link to a review. :) And if you have already posted a review somewhere, that counts of course. Just post the link! 

Happy reading and reviewing! 

Official Facebook page!

This is just a quick update, since I'm pretty busy trying to get everything done before I leave for BEA! EEEK. 

But I finally managed to set up an official Facebook page! You can like me, if you want! Just click here!